Classification has been a serious topic of conversation since the first and most well-known amongst them, Médoc en 1855. From then on, the different appellations have followed the same route in deciding which of their members to honour.

Hence today there are no less than 414 classified Bordeaux chateaux; apart from 61 Médoc (or 60 if you exclude Haut-Brion) from the initial 1855 classification, 24 denominated Sauternes-Barsac, 24 Graves-Pessac-Léognan, 61 Saint-Emilion and lastly, 247 Crus Bourgeois (totalling 444 before the 2003 revision).

There are some other chateaux to be included which for varying reasons don’t feature in these classifications, even though they could quite legitimately form part of them, such as Pétrus, Sociando-Malet, Gloria… To make things even more complex, each classification has subdivisions and there is no rhyme or reason to the titles; thus, for example, the ‘palme d’or’ in a Médoc wine makes it a 1er cru classé, in Sauternes it comes under the 1er crus supérieurs, in Graves it’ll come under crus classés, while in Saint Emilion it forms part of the 1ers grands crus classé A. Finally, a Crus Bourgeois awarded a ‘palme d’or’ becomes a cru bourgeois exceptionnel.

Faced with this multitude of classifications and denominations, it’s easy to see how the newcomer gets lost. But there are economic reasons why they are important. A good classification ensures the proprietor a measure of fame and fortune. What most often happens is that the consumer, blinded by so much complexity, opts for a label with a good cru classification.

From this it’s easy to understand why so many chateaux attach such importance to the process and why they are so often fiercely contested. You only have to delve into the history of the saga of Saint-Emilion wines or Crus Bourgeois to be convinced…

Without a doubt, classifications are essential but they should be more easy to understand. There should be one sole and unique system for all Bordeaux wines. We ask for your patience over the next few weeks as we try to suggest such a system, a way of unravelling the code as practically as possible.

Importantly, the Bordeaux region comprises almost 10,000 wineries, among them are many that are not classed as producing fine wines but whose product is quite as good as others that are. At Wine Tour Booking we look forward to introducing them to you.